Naval Aviation Museum

[SlingShot]

So I'm in Pensacola for some personal business, and I was flying this beer can last night

And I remembered that I hadn't been to the museum in a long time

I also saw the Blue Angels practicing for their Homecoming Show. I'll get to see that on Friday.

 

[Merv]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[PsyBorg]

I haven't been there since Aircrew school in 1983. Looks very different from what I remember. But of course I had my share of those things in your first picture as with most squiddlys that visited.

 

[SlingShot]

I haven't been there since Aircrew school in 1983. Looks very different from what I remember. But of course I had my share of those things in your first picture as with most squiddlys that visited.

Yup. I was there in the spring of '82, and I remember it being much more basic. It's first class now. The grill and bar/snack bar even looks like a cool flyboy watering hole. I've got the Wildcat and the Bearcat, but somehow didn't capture the all important Hellcat.

Edit: 1982. Not 1987 oooops.

 

[PsyBorg]

We must have just missed crossing paths then I was there in March thru early June 83.

 

[kdanie]

Here's another from that museum. FJ4, my father flew that one during his career. He logged a LOT of hours in those as well as the A-1 skyraider. I found some scale turbo jet plans for the FJ4, I think I can adapt it to foamboard & edf... we will see.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I used to visit that museum a few times a year. They had a shooting on base a couple years ago, and have closed the base (and museum) to civilian visitors.

 

[SSgt Duramax]

I need to make it by there next time I am in the area. (I end up at Eglin once every couple of years).

Here in San Antonio, we have the Pacific Naval War museum in Fredericksburg. I love these!

I am heading to Wright Patterson at the end of April, so I will be checking out the AF museum. They have tons of cool things there too.

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

I used to visit that museum a few times a year. They had a shooting on base a couple years ago, and have closed the base (and museum) to civilian visitors.

Great museum, I was not aware of this change. Shame.

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I need to make it by there next time I am in the area. (I end up at Eglin once every couple of years).

Here in San Antonio, we have the Pacific Naval War museum in Fredericksburg. I love these!

I am heading to Wright Patterson at the end of April, so I will be checking out the AF museum. They have tons of cool things there too.

The Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker (near Enterprise Alabama) is awesome. It's another one that is ON base. So I would suggest calling ahead to check if there's any restrictions that day. It's on base, so you're not allowed to carry any firearms with you or in the vehicle.

 

[SSgt Duramax]

The Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker (near Enterprise Alabama) is awesome. It's another one that is ON base. So I would suggest calling ahead to check if there's any restrictions that day. It's on base, so you're not allowed to carry any firearms with you or in the vehicle.

Do they actually check?

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Do they actually check?

Not something you'd want to risk. No, they don't search every vehicle but every vehicle is subject to search as conditions of entry. If you do go allow 30 minutes to get a one-time pass on to the base.
I work on Ft. Rucker is why I know.

 

[SSgt Duramax]

Not something you'd want to risk. No, they don't search every vehicle but every vehicle is subject to search as conditions of entry. If you do go allow 30 minutes to get a one-time pass on to the base.
I work on Ft. Rucker is why I know.

It depends on what RAMs and FPCON they are at. On Ft. Sam we have a little civilian place outside the gate that has a gun locker, and it is $20 a month and they give you a little locker that only you have a code to and you can stash your gun in there. Wish every base has that.

I think it is stupid we can't carry guns on base. They'll drop you in some god forsaken place and arm you to the teeth, but back home they expect you to drive through some pretty bad neighborhoods and work in a "soft target" and expect you to rely on a few dudes with M4s a mile away for protection.

Oh well, off the soap box. Back to cool planes. Lackland has quite a few notable museums too, the Security Forces Museum, and the Airman Heritage Museum, tons of static displays (I bet if there is a plane you want to see, we can find it) and Ft. Sam has the AMEDD museum. It is ashame all of our cool museums around here are decentralized. If you are ever down here, let me know, I can at the very least give you a good itinerary to optimize your time.

They're actually going to build a new one, but right now it is pretty scattered.

https://myairmanmuseum.org/

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

It depends on what RAMs and FPCON they are at. On Ft. Sam we have a little civilian place outside the gate that has a gun locker, and it is $20 a month and they give you a little locker that only you have a code to and you can stash your gun in there. Wish every base has that.

I think it is stupid we can't carry guns on base. They'll drop you in some god forsaken place and arm you to the teeth, but back home they expect you to drive through some pretty bad neighborhoods and work in a "soft target" and expect you to rely on a few dudes with M4s a mile away for protection.

Oh well, off the soap box. Back to cool planes. Lackland has quite a few notable museums too, the Security Forces Museum, and the Airman Heritage Museum, tons of static displays (I bet if there is a plane you want to see, we can find it) and Ft. Sam has the AMEDD museum. It is ashame all of our cool museums around here are decentralized. If you are ever down here, let me know, I can at the very least give you a good itinerary to optimize your time.

They're actually going to build a new one, but right now it is pretty scattered.

https://myairmanmuseum.org/

Totally agree, I have to make the commute daily unarmed despite having had all but the deepest of background checks.

 

[Flightspeed]

The naval aviation museum is one of the best. But yeah, been closed down for like 2 years. I’ve been there many times and wish I could go again. Hopefully they will reopen it.

 

[Flightspeed]

https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/

 

[Flightspeed]

At the bottom of the page there’s a “contact us” button. So I asked em when its gonna reopen. Let’s see if I get a reply🤣

 

[Scotto]

At the bottom of the page there’s a “contact us” button. So I asked em when its gonna reopen. Let’s see if I get a reply🤣

There you go. Ill do it too and we will see if we get the same robotic reply.

Ive been mad all day after reading that its closed to the people that pay taxes and even more mad about the gun free zone. I dont think George Orwell even saw gun free military bases in the cards. Theres a shooting every day in Indianapolis and they dont close the museums. Shooting people is more illegal than taking a gun into a gun free zone without a licence to carry but criminals keep shooting people. Its rediculous.

 

[Flightspeed]

I just wish the musuem could be off the base. And if there’s ever a war and the base gets attacked rip a crap ton of history.

 

[L Edge]

If you are in Tucson and have the time, visit the PIMA museum which has 300 aircraft on display. If you visit the boneyard and the old aircraft inside and out, you can spend the whole day. Well worth it.